Alumni & Friends News

Alumni Recognized by Dean of Extension

Extension Dean, Bev Durgan, honored alumni who are also University of Minnesota Extension faculty and staff in early October.

Dr. Robert Koch '05 (Ph.D. Entomology), an Extension entomologist, was recognized for being an outstanding Campus-based Faculty. With an international reputation in research, Koch has established one of the nation’s strongest Extension programs in integrated pest management, with a special focus on soybean crops. Koch’s research to address invasive insects and insecticide-resistant pests has been essential to the industry’s sustainability. Through his leadership and superior science, Minnesota soybean growers and their communities benefit from more productive relationships among educators, industry, government agencies and others, building a team approach for long-term impacts.

David Nicolai '76 (B.S. Agronomy), an Extension education in AFNR, was recognized as as Field-based Faculty. Known for his strong teaching and presentation skills, Nicolai focuses on crop pest management, in addition to general production topics. When severe weather or other disasters affect Minnesota, Nicolai responds quickly with relevant information delivered via emergency clinics and the news media. He co-directs the Institute for Ag Professionals, known for presenting high-quality programming under his leadership. Nicolai is recognized as a model citizen for both Extension and Minnesota agriculture.

David Bosch '81 '86, ASABE Fellow Inductee

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has named twelve individuals as ASABE Fellows. They were inducted at a ceremony on July 18 at the 2016 ASABE Annual International Meeting, held in Orlando, Florida. David D. Bosch(B.S Agricultural Engineering '81, M.S. Agricultural Education '86), Research Hydraulic Engineer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory, Tifton, Georgia, is being honored for his outstanding contributions to the science of watershed hydrology and development of hydrologic models. To see other ASABE Fellows, click here.

Charles "Chuck" Meslow, honored as 2016 FWCB Distinguished Alumnus

At the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology (FWCB), each academic year begins by celebrating a distinguished alumnus or alumna who has contributed to the conservation of fisheries and wildlife in truly exceptional ways. This year the department honored Dr. E. Charles "Chuck" Meslow as the 2016 FWCB Distinguished Alumnus.

After spending three years in the Navy, Meslow received B.S. and M.S. degrees in wildlife management at the University of Minnesota and then a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology in 1970 from the University of Wisconsin. Shortly after receiving his PhD, he became a federal research scientist with the Oregon Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit and a professor at Oregon State University. Meslow led the Oregon Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit for 18 years before retiring in 1994. He authored and coauthored more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Chuck Meslow has advanced wildlife management through his research on numerous forest wildlife species of the Pacific Northwest. He is a pioneer of landscape-scale wildlife conservation and research. Most notably, his leadership during the contentious years of spotted owl conservation and management is considered by many to be his most important contribution to wildlife conservation. His professionalism, enthusiasm, and optimism were central in the complex process leading to the protection of spotted owls under the Endangered Species Act. Because of his work on spotted owls, he became a key member of the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team. Conservation of old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest was adopted based on the recommendations in this team's Northwest Forest Plan. Learn more about Chuck Meslow here.

On Thursday, October 20th, the Department of Applied Economics presented its prestigious Outstanding Alumni Award to Robert C. Johansson (M.S. Agriculture and Applied Economics '97, Ph.D. Agriculture and Applied Economics '00). Johansson, who was advised by Jay Coggins, was selected as Chief Economist at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in July 2015. As Chief Economist, he is responsible for the Department's agricultural forecasts and projections and for advising the Secretary of Agriculture on economic implications of alternative programs, regulations, and legislative proposals. Learn more about this Outstanding Alumnus here.

Highlights from Forestry Class Reunion

Last month, over forty forestry alumni from the 1970s reunited on the St. Paul campus and at the Cloquet Forestry Center. Alumni came from as near as Falcon Heights and as far as Alaska to participate in the weekend. Activities included a campus wagon tour, mini-lectures from current Forest Resources faculty, and a timbersports competition. The highlights throughout the weekend were the stories, laughs, and photos shared among classmates. Thank you to all who attended and made this reunion so special! Check out photos here.

Dean Herzfeld '78 '82 named Fellow of the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators

At its recent 2016 annual national meeting in Roanoke, VA, the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE) named associate Extension professor Dean Herzfeld (B.S. Plant Health Technology '78, M.S. Plant Pathology '82) , Ph.D., as Fellow. This is the organization’s highest recognition and is bestowed on individuals from universities, federal, tribe, or state agencies, or non-governmental organizations for their superior service to AAPSE and national achievement in education, pesticide applicator certification, public service, research and personal achievement. Herzfeld is a P&A in the Department of Plant Pathology and has led the University of Minnesota Extension’s Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education program for 29 years. Learn more here.